Jinan

Jinan, is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilization and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub. It is the cradle of the Longshan Relics Culture, the reputed prehistoric culture of China and is found in Longshan Town, hence the name. Here you will find far more than you would expect, the ancient Great Wall of the Qi State (a state of the Zhou Dynasty (770 – 221), the colored sculptures of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) in the Lingyan Temple and so on. The city is the home of Shandong cuisine, a popular cuisine of China.

Jinan is renowned across China for its numerous springs, the lakes fed by the spring water, and the weeping willows that grow along the water edges. The late-Qing author Liu E describes Jinan's cityscape in his novel "The Travels of Lao Can" as "Every family has spring water, every household has a willow tree". Jinan was also the historical center of Buddhist culture for the whole province which is still manifest in the many historic sites that are left behind in its s